Medwynhead

Medwynhead is a late 18th century farmhouse, remodelled in the early 20th century into a picturesque summer residence for Sir George Henry Sutherland. The building is single-storey and attic, with a rectangular plan, and a prominent square tower topped with a pyramid roof. The tower features a roundel window over the entrance and a cast-iron thistle finial at its apex. The exterior is pale, roughly squared and snecked sandstone rubble with red sandstone margins. A crow-stepped dormer breaks the eaves on the far right. The lintel above the door on the left is inscribed "W L" and dated 1797.

The windows are timber sash and case with a 12-pane glazing pattern. The roof is grey slate, with gable end stacks topped with clay cans, and the rainwater goods are cast iron. A small gabled outbuilding of rubble and slate stands to the west.

The house is situated within a remote Pentland Hill setting, surrounded by an outcrop of trees. The tower and dormer additions were constructed around 1919 when Sir George Henry Sutherland purchased the Medwynhead and North Slipperfield estates. The use of red sandstone margins on the tower and the crow-stepped dormer reflects the style of the Sutherland Highland Estate, adding to the building’s architectural interest.

The site was previously a farmstead, marked as 'Medwinhead' on the 1858 Ordnance Survey map and including one roofed building and a group of ruins. James and Eleanor Faed farmed the site in the late 19th century. Remains of earlier buildings are still visible on the site. The listing was updated following a resurvey in 2010.